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Blues re-call All Blacks trio for Super Rugby Trans-Tasman clash against Reds in Brisbane

(Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

The Blues have re-called three All Blacks, including their captain, into their starting side to face the Reds at Suncorp Stadium on Friday.

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Tighthead prop Ofa Tuungafasi, lock Patrick Tuipulotu and No 8 Akira Ioane have all been named in Leon MacDonald’s starting XV to take on the Queenslanders as they continue their charge towards a place in the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman final.

The return of Tuipulotu into the starting side also means a change in captaincy, as relieves blindside flanker Tom Robinson of the leadership duties.

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Robinson had assumed the captaincy after Tuipulotu missed a succession of games due to a neck/shoulder injury picked up against the Chiefs in round five of Super Rugby Aotearoa.

Tuipulotu returned to the match days squads in the last two Blues matches, coming off the bench in their wins over the Waratahs and Brumbies, but the 28-year-old has now been thrust back into the second row alongside the in-form Gerard Cowley-Tuioti.

The inclusions of Tuipulotu, Tuungafasi and Ioane represent three of four changes made to the starting side by MacDonald, as Mark Telea swaps into the No 11 jersey in place of AJ Lam, who drops to the bench.

Lam, who crossed for four tries in his last four outings for the Blues, is one of three new faces in the reserves, with young lock Jacob Pierce coming onto the pine to fill the void left by Tuipulotu.

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Hoskins Sotutu, meanwhile, will don the No 20 jersey after making way for Ioane at the back of the scrum.

A fourth consecutive bonus point win for the Blues this weekend would likely see the Auckland-based franchise remain at the summit of the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman table with one more round-robin match to play.

Should they remain in the competition’s top two by the end of next weekend, the Blues will play in their first final since 2003 and their first play-off match in 10 years.

The Reds, meanwhile, are looking to back up their efforts from last weekend when they became the first Australian team to defeat a New Zealand side this year when they toppled the Chiefs 40-34 in Townsville.

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Kick-off for this weekend’s clash is scheduled for 7:45pm local time [9:45pm NZT].

Blues team to play the Reds

1. Karl Tu’inukuafe
2. Kurt Eklund
3. Ofa Tuungafasi
4. Patrick Tuipulotu (c)
5. Gerard Cowley-Tuioti
6. Tom Robinson
7. Dalton Papali’i
8. Akira Ioane
9. Finlay Christie
10. Otere Black
11. Mark Telea
12. TJ Faiane
13. Rieko Ioane
14. Bryce Heem
15. Zarn Sullivan

Reserves:

16. Soane Vikena
17. Alex Hodgman
18. Nepo Laulala
19. Jacob Pierce
20. Hoskins Sotutu
21. Jonathan Ruru
22. Harry Plummer
23. AJ Lam

Listen to the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod below:

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R
RedWarrior 1 hour ago
Three-way race to be number one in World Rugby men's rankings

IF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.


As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.


Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).

This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.

If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.

Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.

After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.

Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.


Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)

Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.

Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.


Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.


Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:


Seeding Band 1

IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG

Seeding Band 2

SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: FIJI

1/8 final opponent GEORGIA

Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA

1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND

Prognosis: You know the prognosis


I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?


Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.

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